I Already Have Reference Images for My Characters: What Changes When I Upload Them

Quick answer: Yes, you can use your own images: open the character, scene or prop in Step 2 and upload a replacement. From then on every video generated for that character looks at your image instead of the generated sheet. The description under the card does not change — it still steers how the shot is written, so bring it in line with the picture. Clips you generated earlier are untouched; state images made from the old sheet are treated as out of date until regenerated. Prepare the image the way a sheet is made: one person, plain background, 9:16 for people and 16:9 for places and props.

Still from “Rocket Pup”, an AI short drama generated end-to-end by SceneMixer (7 characters, 1 episode) — Sample: “Rocket Pup” — Feature 3D Animation, 1 episode, produced end-to-end by SceneMixer from the script · watch the episodes

Open any character card in Step 2 and look for Upload next to Regenerate; the current sheet stays until the upload finishes.

How to replace a sheet

In Step 2, open the card and choose Upload. JPEG or PNG, a sensible shape (roughly 9:16 for a person, 16:9 for a place or a prop; very tall or very wide images are refused later at generation). The new image replaces the sheet and its thumbnails everywhere the character appears. Uploading is a paid-plan feature; the details and the alternatives: Use Your Own Photo for a Character or Scene.

What changes and what does not

Changes: the reference the video model looks at for that character in every segment generated from now on; the card, the panel thumbnails, the face crop used in the editor. Does not change: the description (appearance, clothing, voice) — the storyboard and the shot text still read it; clips already generated; other characters. Goes stale: state images (costume changes and the like) that were generated from the old sheet count as out of date and fall back to text until you regenerate them.

The episode asset library showing generated character sheets, location images and prop images — Replacing a sheet swaps the image on the card; the description under it stays yours to edit.

Bring the description in line

The video is built from two things: the image, and the words. If your image shows a blonde woman in a leather jacket and the description still says a brunette in a coat, the shot text will describe the coat and the model will argue with itself. Edit the appearance and clothing fields to match the picture; keep the identifying features you want kept (a scar, glasses). Write a Description That Works.

Preparing an image that works as a sheet

A generated sheet is a neutral reference on purpose: full body, plain background, even light, no mood. Your image should be the same kind of thing. Crowded backgrounds, heavy filters, dramatic lighting and other people in frame all leak into every shot that uses it. Real people need permission — your own face is fine, a stranger’s is not: Content Rules and Moderation.

Using the same image across projects

An uploaded sheet lives in the project. To reuse it elsewhere, open the matching card in the other project and copy the picture from the asset library; the image (and voice) are copied, not the description, so write that card’s description to match. Reuse a Character, Scene or Voice Across Projects.

After you upload	Generated sheet	Your image
New segments look at	—	Your image
Description	Kept	Kept — edit it to match
Existing clips	Unchanged	Unchanged
State images from the old sheet	—	Out of date until regenerated
Thumbnails and face crop	—	Refreshed

FAQ

Do I need a plan to upload?

Yes, uploading a replacement is a paid-plan feature; the free path is to edit the description and regenerate.

Will the face be exactly my image?

The model treats it as a strong reference; likeness is good but not a copy, and lighting and angle follow the shot.

Can I upload several angles?

One sheet per character. Use states for a second look (a costume) rather than a second angle.

My upload was accepted but the video failed with 'invalid input'.

The image's shape or size is outside what the video tier accepts. Crop closer to 9:16 and re-upload.

Does the upload count against my free sheets?

No. Free sheets count generations; an upload is not one.

Upload, then fix the words

The picture is half the reference; the description is the other half.

Open Step 2

Updated September 27, 2026